To introduce a new feature to our BBS, I am proposing a forum discussion of various speculative fiction topics. I will start with commentary about Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. I have heard folks claim that the books have been as influential as Tolkien's LOTR. I've read Goodkind's series and liked it a lot, but I can't quite ascribe it Tolkienesque influence. Indeed, it seems to me that the Truth novels themselves owe quite a bit to LOTR (as does most modern fantasy). Of course, Goodkind's books do contain a modest amount of sex--probably helped sales but its lack didn't seem to hurt LOTR's profitability. (One can't envision G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis encouraging JRR to add steamy scenes between Aragorn and Arwen.)

I've read the books and liked both the TV seasons of Legend of the Seeker made out of those, even though the story was slightly different...

Anyway, the two Fantasy seasons( as the third one was never produced, unfortunately...) in my opinion are second only to A game of Thrones Fantasy TV series, nowadays, as they were well conceived, very serious in some episodes ( just think of the telling of the cruel and bloody education of a young Mord- Sith in the second season, episode "Broken" ...simply a wonderful depiction, one of the most tragic in Fantasy on TV...), with some fun in many others...

An English friend of mine suggested to me to have a read at this book series years ago( the same who suggested to me to have a look at the first seasons of Babylon 5 on videocassettes or at E.Feist's Fantasy book series, so he really knows Sci-Fi/Fantasy best reads/TV series for sure...eh,eh ) and he was right, indeed...eh,eh

Babylon V was my favorite TV Sci Fi of all time. I liked it better than Star Trek. (BLASPHEMY! STONE HIM!) I kind of wonder if Lucas didn't steal the name Lando for his Star Wars flick. (ON SECOND THOUGHT, STONING'S TOO GOOD FOR HIM.) Edgy without being weird; sexy without being obnoxious; intriguing without being soap-opera-ey, Babylon V raised TV Sci Fi to a new level--one not achieved since. That's my opinion. Howzabout yours?

Just soon after that I put Battlestar Galactica- The New Edition, because it's a very tragic and unusual story and only after that I'd place Star Trek( TNG and Deep Space Nine on top and on the same level...eh,eh)

By the way, just think of how good is the acting of L. Lawless in Battlestar Galactica- The New Edition instead of her very very bad acting in Xena ( which looks really like a bad Fantasy TV series from the recent past...eh,eh)

Lex is weird, in some ways, the same as Farscape or maybe even Gormenghast or Doctor Who, but it was really interesting, indeed...eh,eh

Lexx was a very interesting series. I saw only a few episodes (came in too late), but those I saw were entertaining. My only reservation: I felt the series had a bit too much T&A. I have no quarrel with a bit of that provided it's an integral and necessary part of the story, but I thought Lexx pushed the envelope. And it didn't have to do so; the series was superb without it. I think the producers bought in too deeply to the "sex sells" mantra.

Ente:

I can't comment on "Battlestar" because I never watched it. I thought the first series silly so I never risked the second: evidently, my loss. As to the Star Treks, I never cared much for the "New Generation," but I kind of liked "Deep Space 9" (sort of a poor man's Babylon V). My favorite episode of the original Star Trek: "A Piece of the Action." How about youze guys? What's your favorite Star Trek epi?

My favourite Deep space Nine episodes are the ones with Garak, that is really a good/bad guy according to the current circumstances, but he will look like a good one in the end, maybe...eh,eh

But Sisko is really a very good character, too, and he is only partly human in the story...eh,eh

About Battlestar Galactica: the New Edition, just have a look at Tricia Helfer as Number Six and you'll keep thinking of her...the same as Baltar does over the course of the series... but is she real or not...eh,eh?

About Star Trek - TNG ( and Star Trek TV series in general...) I liked very much Data and Worf, but Picard remains to me one of the more inspirational characters of all time, I could say the same for Janeway, Tuvok and Sisko in a way...eh,eh

Best episodes ever, in my opinion of course: The Next Phase, Unification I and II, All Good Things I and II,and of course all, and I really mean it, the Q and Borg episodes surely!!! ;)

My favorite episode of the original Star Trek: "A Piece of the Action." How about youze guys? What's your favorite Star Trek epi?

MiriStardate: 2713.5Original Airdate: Oct 27, 1966

"RED HEAD BOY: Bonk bonk! Get him!KIRK: Look at my arms! That's what's going to happen to you unless you let me help you.RED HEAD BOY: Bonk bonk! Hit him!KIRK: And the little ones. What's going to happen to them after you've gone, after you've turned into creatures like Louise? Oh, they'll still be here, but not for long, because the food's all gone. You've eaten it. Maybe six months left, that's all, and then nothing left to eat, nobody left to take care of them. They'll die, too.MIRI: Look at my arm, Jahn. It's happening to me. He's telling the truth.JAHN: They're Grups!CHILDREN: Bonk bonk! Bonk bonk! Bonk bonk! Bonk bonk! "

I thought the Miri episode was good but, like many Star Trek Originals--a bit too melodramatic. My favorite episodes were always the light-hearted, humor-oriented ones (Tribbles, Mudd's Women, Piece of the Action, others). As for the dramatic ones, I guess I'd go with "City on the Edge of Eternity." (Not sure of this title, but it's the one where McCoy saves a woman who delays our entry into WWII and the Nazis win. Kirk and Spock go back to set things right and Kirk winds up falling in love with the woman. He has to let her die; a real tear jerker.)